Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Fernando Henrique Cardoso "was President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two successive mandates (from 01/01/1995 to 31/12/2002), winning both elections in the first round by an absolute majority.

"Among his more recent functions, Fernando Henrique Cardoso was Chairman of the Club of Madrid from and co-Chairman of the Inter-American Dialogue (2003/06). He is a member of the High-Level Commission on the Legal Empowerment of the Poor. He is also Professor “at large” at Brown University, Providence, and holder of the “Cultures of the South” chair at the Library of Congress, Washington D.C. He recently presided over the United Nations Panel of Eminent Persons on the relationship between this organization and civil society as well as the UNCTAD Panel of Eminent Persons on Enhancing the Development Role and the Impact of that Organization. He was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1931. He is married and has three children.

"A sociologist trained at the University of São Paulo, he emerged since the late 1960s as one of the most influential figures in the analysis of large-scale social change, international development, dependency, democracy, and state reform. Building on this successful intellectual and academic career, Cardoso became deeply involved in Brazil's struggle for democracy to overcome the authoritarian military regime (1964-1985). Elected Senator in 1982, he was a founding member of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB). He served as Minister of Foreign Relations in 1992-93 and Minister of Finance in 1993-94." 

Former President of Brazil (1995-2003)

"In 1995 Cardoso was elected President of Brazil. He was reelected in 1998 and served until 2003. During his time in office, he reduced government involvement in the economy and to attracted foreign investment to Brazil.

"Cardoso is currently a Professor at the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies at Brown University, President of the Club of Madrid and co-Chairman of the Inter-American Dialogue. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation, New York, and the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. He holds the “Cultures of the South” chair at the Library of Congress, Washington D.C.

"Cardoso is the recipient of numerous Doctorates Honoris Causa from universities in the United States, Venezuela, Chile, Portugal, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, England, Slovakia, Russia, Israel, and Japan. He is a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has received many other honors, including the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation (2000), the UNDP’s Mahbub ul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution to Human Development (2002) and the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding (2003). He has written numerous books including Dependency and Development in Latin America (with E. Faletto, 1979) and Charting a New Course: The Politics of Globalization and Social Tansformation (2001, M.Font editor)." 

Married to Ruth Cardoso.


 * Director, Better World Fund
 * Director, World Resources Institute
 * Director, Inter-American Dialogue
 * Advisory Board, USC Center on Public Diplomacy
 * Winner of the 2003, Notre Dame Prize for Distinguished Public Service in Latin America
 * Member, The Elders